Lexus RC F to get slight power increase?

Sep 23, 2017, 2:01pm ETby Ben Hsu

The already powerful naturally aspirated V8 would match that of the LC 500.

Recently a camouflaged Lexus RC F was seen testing at the Nurburgring. It is presumed that it is the luxury coupe's mid-generation update, one that could come with slight power increase from its rev-happy 5.0-liter V8.

Lexus Enthusiast theorizes that the test mule's bottom-half swirl camouflage was used to hide the car's updated front and rear fascias, as is common in mid-generation facelifts. Meanwhile, Autocar says that that Lexus will bump the naturally aspirated V8 past 470 horsepower from its current 467 horsepower and 398 lb-ft of torque.

Putting two and two together, and knowing that the new LC 500 is rated at 471 horses, it seems likely that the RC F will receive the extra uptick in power. The two cars share the same Lexus V8, after all.

Autocar further speculates that the RC F will have its safety tech brought in line with therest of the Lexus lineup. These features will include an update to the adaptive cruise control system, automatic braking assist if an impending collision is detected, and pedestrian collision alerts.

As Lexus Enthusiast surmises, the earliest these updates would come would be for the 2019 model year, as the figures for 2018 show the engine with the same 467-horsepower output as the 2017 model.